Su Yuzu woke up very early the next morning.
That was because she still had to go to the Assault Department office to find Director Saionji.
She intended to accompany Kujou Katora to the "Epiphany Manufacture" laboratory to investigate, using "field sketching" as a cover. Heaven knows why a rising star of the Assault Department's second year would go field sketching.
But Su Yuzu understood. The reason itself wasn't important; what mattered was that she simply needed a reason.
Gazing at the morning sunlight, the girl's crimson eyes appeared as magnificent as brilliant gems under the illumination, their fire dazzling to behold.
In the main Soga family, the more crimson and brilliant the eyes, usually the purer the bloodline and the more powerful the strength. Su Yuzu's eyes possessed an unprecedented level of brilliance.
Before the girls awakened their abilities, she was the one standing under the spotlight of the Soga clan, the center of everyone's attention.
Then—
Everything was destroyed in the face of a Level.0 Psychokinesis that held no potential whatsoever.
From that day on, the short-haired, timid Soga Yura grew out her long hair, stood before the stage, awakened the invincibly deemed "Mind Control" ability, and replaced Su Yuzu as the Soga family's Eldest Young Lady whom everyone watched.
Su Yuzu, on the other hand, sat obediently in front of the mirror, letting Soga Iori cut her hair short with a look of heartache. Standing in the corner of the spotlight, she watched Soga Yura clench her fists at the banquet.
Blinking her eyes, Su Yuzu carefully let go of the little cat in her arms.
Generally speaking, an Aberrant's rest mode is more like that of a dolphin. Their brain hemispheres sleep alternately. A sleeping Aberrant is like a statue. It's just that this statue might suddenly erupt at any moment, wielding a sword of Catastrophe to slice a passing innocent bystander in two.
But the little cat was different.
She was a completely man-made Aberrant.
"Epiphany Manufacture" did not need a true Aberrant; what they needed was a weapon, a handy weapon.
Therefore, a large amount of human factors were mixed in during Zero's manufacturing process. This caused Zero to be unable to rest her brain hemispheres alternately like an Aberrant. Simultaneously, due to the 'defects' of the human factors, she required a large amount of time to sleep every day.
This was also the reason why the girl had curled up on the chair and fallen asleep while waiting for Su Yuzu last night.
But... it was precisely because of this part of the 'defect' that Zero could communicate, curling up in Su Yuzu's arms like an obedient little cat.
Zero was imperfect.
However... the researcher behind Zero had found another possibility of perfection through Zero's eyes.
"Inverse Aberration."
Generally speaking, only a First Sequence Aberrant has the possibility of reverting to a human after being stripped of the Catastrophe aura. Even if they recover, they must pay a considerably heavy price. Their growth path is locked, their power misaligned, and they can make no progress for the rest of their lives.
But... they clearly saw Mihou Sakai, who had returned via "Inverse Aberration," successfully break through the First Sequence, breaking through the locked future.
Moreover... the most critical one was Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.
Her aura was completely identical to the aura of that Nightmare-type Aberrant captured back then. Yet her current posture was clearly that of a human.
This meant... after stepping into the Second Sequence as an Aberrant, she had successfully returned from the Abyss.
This was almost an impossible occurrence.
There is a fundamental difference between a Second Sequence Aberrant and a First Sequence Aberrant. They have already faced the Abyss directly. This is the root cause why Second Sequence Aberrants cannot return to the human faction.
But... this impossible thing had indeed happened.
In the files of "Epiphany Manufacture," they defined this situation as... "Inverse Aberration."
They had already seen the future—
A perfect existence. Possessing a human form, Aberrant power, and completely unaffected by the Abyss Will.
A new era had already raised its curtain.
The only problem now was... how to complete the "Inverse Aberration."
However, these vexing matters had nothing to do with Su Yuzu for the time being.
Kissing the corner of the eye of the cat in her arms, she looked down at the little cat's dark golden vertical pupils, which seemed slightly dazed.
Su Yuzu gently brushed the tips of Zero's hair. "Go back to sleep."
"There is food I prepared for you in the refrigerator."
"You are only allowed to eat one portion at a time."
"Three meals a day."
"If you have any issues, you can go ask Mihou Sakai."
"I have already told Little Mihou. During the days I am out... out field sketching, she will help me take care of you."
"Okay?"
Zero nodded her small head obediently. Although she really wanted to go out with her King, for a weapon... Obedience was an attribute carved into her genes. She only needed to be obedient.
Changing into a hoodie and long pants suitable for outdoor activities, Su Yuzu went straight to the Assault Department office.
The sky outside was just beginning to brighten, but the lights in the Assault Department office were already on. Director Saionji was almost the earliest riser in the entire academy.
Knock, knock, knock—
Su Yuzu gently tapped on the office door.
"Come in—"
Saionji Sagara just looked up, and then revealed a slightly stunned expression. "Yuzu?"
"Coming over so early... is there something the matter?"
Looking at Su Yuzu dressed in such a dashing outfit, a rather uneasy premonition had already risen in Saionji Sagara's heart.
"I want to apply to go field sketching."
"I heard that Senior Superintendent Kujou Katora of the Investigation Bureau's Fourth Action Division happens to be leaving the Tokyo metropolitan area today."
"I hope to hitch a ride."
"Nonsense!!!" Saionji Sagara slammed the table and stood up directly. "Do you know what you are doing?"
"You are joking with your own life."
"Then what about Kujou-senpai?" Su Yuzu simply looked at Saionji Sagara calmly. "Is Kujou-senpai not joking with her own life?"
"She is different..." Saionji Sagara felt her heart couldn't take it this early in the morning. Why was her student's path becoming wilder and wilder?
"What is different?" Su Yuzu's voice was very calm.
"Is it because Kujou-senpai is not Director Saionji's student?"
"Or is it because Kujou-senpai is a Third Sequence ability user."
"So you also know she is a Third Sequence ability user," Saionji Sagara said with heartache.
"I am already Second Sequence."
"What???" Saionji Sagara stood there, completely dumbfounded.
"I 'stole' one-fourth of Kujou-senpai's power. The current me... is already Second Sequence." Although "Hand of Paradox" was still only Level-14, "Blood Manipulation (25%)" was indeed at the level of a Second Sequence ability user.
"Wait... wait a moment..." Saionji Sagara stood up and began pacing in the office. She felt the shock she suddenly received was a bit too great.
How long had it been since Su Yuzu awakened her ability?
Second Sequence already?
Even accepting that kind of... subtle blessing every day, it would be hard to achieve that. She must be the biological daughter of Lady Fate.
But even so, "Even Second Sequence is no good."
Saionji Sagara spoke righteously.
Su Yuzu... was the hope of this era. She could not tolerate any accidents happening to Su Yuzu under her watch again.
"Director Saionji..." Sighing gently, Su Yuzu looked at the serious woman before her. "I have a reason I must go."
"What reason is more important than your safety?"
"That feather..." Su Yuzu had long prepared her rhetoric.
"Wh...at..."
"After I awakened my ability, in the laboratory... the feather you asked me to twist." Su Yuzu looked at Saionji Sagara.
"If I didn't guess wrong, that feather is probably not the Catastrophe Crystal of some ordinary Aberrant."
"Its owner..."
"Should be that cataclysmic Sixth Sequence Aberrant, the incarnation of the Abyss Will..."
"That is... Kujou Katora's sister, Kujou Iruka, right."
Saionji Sagara was rendered completely mute. That was something she could not face.
"I heard... Director Saionji used to be a teacher at Imperial Capital University." The girl stood in the morning sunlight, smiling in a way that made Saionji Sagara think of an angel. Although... every single word, every single sentence from the girl made her feel as if her breathing was about to stop.
"After that Star of Humanity's Hope chose to become corrupted and stepped into the Edge of Aberration... Director Saionji left Imperial Capital University."
"Is it because... you saw your own student fall into the Edge of Aberration, right?"
Saionji Sagara slumped almost powerfully into her chair. "Iruka... was originally a very well-behaved girl."
"I have a reason I must accompany Kujou-senpai." Su Yuzu bowed respectfully toward Saionji Sagara. "Moreover, I promise... I will protect my own safety as much as possible."
The storm is coming.
One can hide for a moment, but not for a lifetime.
Su Yuzu had no way to choose escape.
"Okay..." Saionji Sagara's voice was almost parched.
"By the way, there is one more thing." Su Yuzu reminded Saionji Sagara. "The owner of that feather..."
"Possibly, isn't Sixth Sequence."
"Her aura is even more powerful than Soga... than Father."
"What!??" Saionji Sagara's pupils quaked again. This time, it was genuine shock and astonishment.
She did not doubt Su Yuzu's words.
Every rule-type ability user's abilities were completely unreasonable. In Saionji Sagara's view, Su Yuzu was one of the most unreasonable ones.
She could even trigger the "Miracle of Lady Fate."
The girls around her could continuously receive Lady Fate's Blessing, and... judging from Su Yuzu's own progress in strength, she herself might even receive 'feedback.'
Su Yuzu said... Kujou Iruka's power might be even stronger than her father's.
Soga Retsu was a hegemon who had long occupied the Sixth Sequence.
Then... wouldn't Kujou Iruka's strength be...
Seventh Sequence.
The Abyss Returns.
Saionji Sagara seemed to see the descent of a dark era.
"Go—"
"Go train yourself." Saionji Sagara did not stop Su Yuzu this time.
The girl must become strong.
Become strong at the fastest speed.
"By the way."
"Take this."
She pushed open the bookshelf in the office, revealing a hidden door concealed behind it. Inside the hidden door was a huge safe.
After unlocking layers of defense, Saionji Sagara took out a string of dull silver chains from the safe.
"This is..." Su Yuzu looked at the silver chain Saionji Sagara was handing to her.
She could feel the heaviness of that silver chain.
"Holy Relic — [Immaculate Pure Land]."
"I can't watch my own student get hurt anymore."
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